The spirited world of mixology

GSN Review: Old English Gin

Gin has always been something of an elusive spirit. Over the centuries it has transformed from the quite sweet Genever into Old Tom and Young Tom gin, and from there it further branched into London Dry and Plymouth styles. Old English Gin looks to recapture what Old Tom gin was like for the drinker over 225 years ago.

Crafted at Langley Distillery in the West Midlands, where they also make several other popular brands of gin, Old English is made in a 3,000 copper pot still manufactured in 1903 by John Dore & Company (the oldest working copper pot gin still in England). The recipe goes back even further to 1783 and includes angelica, cardamom, cassia, cinnamon, coriander, juniper, lemon, liquorice, nutmeg, orange and orris root as well as a small amount of sugar to sweeten the blend before bottling.

Another interesting aspect of the product is that it is contained in reclaimed champagne bottles and sealed with a cork and black wax. Even opening the bottle gives one the sense that they are traveling back to an earlier time before screw-caps.

Old English Gin (88 proof)Visual: Clear.Nose: Bright and crisp juniper with slight lemon citrus notes. Very clean and straightforward.Taste: Quite smooth and very much in the tradition of drier English styles (as opposed to the malty Dutch versions). Flavorful with an abundance of juniper berries, but offset with other mellower botanicals and a smattering of citrus. A surprisingly fresh juiciness comes out after a few sips.Finish: Medium long with a slightly bitter-sweet dry and effusive crispness.Overall: Really well done and a testament to the historical recipes of the 1700’s. It’s no wonder that Britains went mad for this style of gin.GSN Rating: A+